Episode:008: Golden Opportunity
|EpisodeAlternativeTitle = |Image = |Image_Size =290px |Image_Caption = |EpisodeNo = 1665 |EpisodeYearxNo = 2002x019 |Series = 18 |Airdate = 16th April 2002 |AirdateAU = |Written_By = Declan Croghan |Written_By2 = |Produced_By = |Directed_By = Steve Finn |Prev =Episode 007 |Next =Episode 009 }} Episode 008 is the 1665th episode of The Bill. This episode's alternate title is Golden Opportunity. While reports of disturbances start flooding in police out on the streets find themselves under attack. Craig has a hard time containing a vanful of officers desperate to get amongst the conflict and regain some order. When their van is bombarded direct orders to remain vigilant from the confines of the van begin to wear a little thin. June and Jim are called to investigate an incident in a disused warehouse and discover a gang of masked youths firing ball bearings. While Jim is winded and struggles to give chase, June tails them but is lured into a trap. She finds herself restrained using her own handcuffs so when Jim catches up and sees her lying on the floor he storms to her rescue with no thought for his own safety. Meanwhile Polly has returned to work earlier than she should have and the strain is beginning to show. The mounting pressure at work combined with emotional stress of PC Dave Quinnan leaving Sun Hill have become too much for her to handle and she becomes increasingly unhinged. When Chandler sees her make a dash for the ladies he is unsympathetic and reprimands her with a reminder that above all she is a police officer. At the end of an intense day, having filled the custody cells with suspects and troublemakers, the team relax with a drink in CID. While they congratulate themselves DC Mickey Webb makes comments that force DC Kate Spears to reassess her relationship with the superintendent. She corners Chandler in his office and threatens to reveal the truth. While her threats provoke a strong reaction, petrol bombs are being lobbed over the walls of Sun Hill. Des catches a yob in the yard, but he breaks free leaving behind his bag containing a metal pipe and a petrol bomb. He seizes his chance to get rid of the fake 50's on Monroe's desk, little does he know, his action is witnessed by Sam who is watching from the CID balcony. As he looks at what he's done, he notices two gas cylinders left in there by decorator Harry Fullerton. He shouts a warning to everyone in CID, but an explosion rips through the east side of the station, destroying Monroe's office, CID, the canteen and part of the Sergeant's corridor. Notes *'Gary Grant is incorrectly credited as DC Gary Riley.' *'It is very obvious in this episode that Lisa Geoghan (PC Page) is very pregnant. It is most obvious during the confrontation with Chandler outside CAD. You can see her bump sticking out through the sweater she is wearing and her bust size is much larger than normal.' *'Final appearances of Inspector Andrew Monroe (Colin Tarrant), DCs Kate Spears (Tania Emery)& Paul Riley (Gary Grant) and PCs Di Worrell (Jane Wall) & Ben Hayward (Ben Peyton). All five are only revealed in the following episode, and only four are reported to have died at the time, as Kate dies in the following episode off-screen.' *'When this episode was broadcast on UK Gold and Watch, most of the Sun Hill Fire scenes were edited out, the rioters running up to Sun Hill, TSG fighting them, Des breaking the glass and lighting the petrol bomb, Kate kneeing Chandler in the balls, the truth about Conway's death (which one swear word was used), the ball bearing being fired at thee Area Car, Kate throwing the ring at Chandler's door and the boy nearly getting run over by the police car were all edited out. Some cuts contain these scenes but almost always the episode lacks the truth about Conway's death & Kate throwing the ring at Chandler's door. In a recent broadcast on Drama, it had the same edits as UK Gold and Watch but with a few extras, the officers drinking in C.I.D, and the C.I.D corridor and balcony exploding. UK Gold premiered this episode on Thursday 26th February 2004 and Watch premiered it in December 2010 and Drama premiered it on Tuesday 21st October 2014.' *'This episode has the most deaths of officers in an episode. It has five, and the other episodes to feature more than one death was Episode 289, which featured two deaths, but announced three, in the same way the five deaths are mentioned in the next episode. Ironically, Episode 289 was the second Sun Hill fire.' See also Sun Hill Fire 2002. Category:2002 Episodes Category:Series 18 Category:Episodes that feature the death of an officer